1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to scaffolding for supporting roofers and roofing materials to enable roofers to apply such materials to the roofs and, more particularly, is concerned with a roof scaffolding system which can readily be assembled on and disassembled from roofs of different sizes and configurations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Completing construction of a roof on a building requires the use of scaffolding to permit roofers to easily and safely move about the roof and to provide for the temporary storage of roofing materials within convenient reach of the roofers. Various arrangement of scaffolding has been proposed and/or developed over the years to meet these requirements.
Representative examples of different arrangements of scaffolding are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 232,556 to Silvius, U.S. Pat. No. 718,602 to Chase, U.S. Pat. No. 859,241 to Nantel, U.S. Pat. No. 1,586,421 to Frush, U.S. Pat. No. 2,426,825 to Geary, U.S. Pat. No. 3,526,296 to Stevens, U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,606 to Burton, U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,148 to Franco et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,006 to Richardson, Jr. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,629 to Cloutier et al. The scaffolding arrangements of these patents employ various ones of ladders, planks, platforms, ridge hooks, stepped brackets, telescopable bracket arms, movable carriages on tracks, base and cross brace frames, lateral supports with attachment plates, triangular support braces and the like. However, none of these patents appear to have arrived at a combination of components that will provide a scaffolding arrangement that is sufficiently versatile and easy to use so as to facilitate working on roofs of many different sizes and configurations.
Consequently, a need remains for an innovation in roof scaffolding arrangements that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art without introducing new ones in their place.
The present invention provides a roof scaffolding system designed to satisfy the aforementioned need. The roof scaffolding system of the present invention can readily be assembled on and disassembled from roofs of different sizes and configurations and has components that can readily be relocated on such roofs as construction of the roofs progress to completion.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a roof jack for a roof scaffolding system, which comprises: (a) a rigid support frame having a pair of lower ends laterally spaced apart from one another and an upper apex located above and between the lower ends; (b) a pair of support blocks each attached to one of the lower ends of the support frame and being adapted to rest on one inclined surface of a roof such that the roof jack is adapted to assume a rest position on the one inclined surface with the support frame thereof spaced above the one inclined surface; and (c) a rigid bar having an elongated main portion and opposite front and rear end portions, the rigid bar at the rear end portion being rigidly connected to the upper apex of the support frame and formed as a hook-shaped element extending upwardly from the main portion such that the main portion of the rigid bar is adapted to support an elongated board and the hook-shaped element of the rigid bar is adapted to retain the board on the roof jack, the rigid bar at the front end portion thereof being formed as a transverse extending front attachment key.
The present invention also is directed to a valley jack for a roof scaffolding system, which comprises: (a) a pair of legs rigidly connected together at respective inner ends of the legs to form an apex and diverging away from one another to respective outer ends of the legs; (b) a pair of support blocks each attached to and extending below one of the legs such that the support blocks are adapted to rest on adjacent inclined surfaces of the roof that form a valley therebetween and support the legs such that the legs are spaced above and extend generally parallel to the adjacent inclined surfaces of the roof and converge upwardly toward one another; (c) a pair of hook-shaped elements each attached on and extending upright from the outer end of one of the legs such that the legs support one or more ends of boards thereon and the hook-shaped elements retain the ends of the boards on the legs; and (d) an attachment rod attached to and extending forwardly from the apex formed by the inner ends of the legs.
The present invention further is directed to a roof scaffolding system, which comprises: (a) at least two of the roof jacks as described above laterally spaced apart from one another; and (b) at least two support assemblies disposed adjacent to and anchoring the respective roof jacks on the roof. Each support assembly includes an elongated support member extending under the support frame and between the support blocks of one of the roof jacks and having a plurality of holes defined at locations spaced longitudinally along the support member such that a selected one of the holes at a time is adapted to receive the front attachment key on the rigid bar of one of the roof jacks for holding the one roof jack at the rest position on the one inclined surface of the roof and astraddle the support member. The support member has an upper end adapted to be disposed adjacent to a peak of the roof. Each support assembly also includes an attachment member mounted to the upper end of the support member and adapted to be secured to an opposite inclined surface of the roof and thereby retain the support member in a stationary position extending upwardly along the one inclined surface of the roof.
The present invention still further is directed to a roof scaffolding system, which comprises: (a) at least one roof jack as described above; (b) at least one support assembly as described above being disposed adjacent to the roof jack; (c) at least one valley jack as described above; and (d) at least one valley support assembly disposed adjacent to the valley jack. The valley support assembly includes a valley support member adapted to rest on and extend upwardly along the valley of the roof between the adjacent inclined surfaces thereof. The valley support member has a plurality of anchor elements spaced apart from one another along and fixed on the valley support member such that a selected one of the anchor elements at a time is adapted to receive an end of the attachment rod of the valley jack for holding the valley jack at the rest position on the adjacent inclined surfaces of the roof and bridging the valley therebetween and at the same elevation on the roof as the roof jack such that an end of the board supported on the roof jack can rest on the valley jack. The valley support assembly also includes an attachment member hingedly attached to an upper end of the valley support member and adapted to reach over the peak of the roof and be attached to the opposite inclined surface of the roof adjacent to the peak and thereby retain the valley support member in a stationary position extending upwardly along the valley of the roof.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention.